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The Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce has warned that “malicious cyber actors” could interfere with Australia’s electoral processes.
The Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce (EIAT) has released a report on the integrity of the upcoming Australian federal election, outlining for the Australian Electoral Commissioner a range of threats to the electoral process.
Alongside foreign interference, physical security – including terrorism and protests – and misinformation and disinformation as key threats, cyber security has also been listed as an area of concern.
“An increasingly digital world increases the risks to national security and personal data security. The Australian federal election may attract a level of interest from malicious cyber actors, including state-sponsored actors, cyber criminals and hacktivists, who may have the intention to disrupt, interfere with, or undermine the conduct of the 2025 Australian federal election,” the EIAT’s report, released yesterday (20 January), said.
“Globally, malicious actors have demonstrated a capability and willingness to target election infrastructure and high-profile individuals. They use a range of methods to disrupt, influence, gain access to sensitive or classified data, including through phishing, information stealer malware, and doxing.”
With regards to misinformation and disinformation, the EIAT said that while disinformation from foreign powers is a threat, not all disinformation comes from such a source – domestic actors are just as likely to seek to influence the result of an election.
“The shifting online environment involves the use of inauthentic activity to try and influence public debate, and generative artificial intelligence to produce false narratives, fake images and deepfake audio and videos, requiring all Australians to think deeply about what they are reading, hearing and watching, and to stop and consider the source of information,” the EIAT said.
“This is a particularly important consideration when weighing up voting decisions.
“To support voters during the 2025 federal election, the Australian Electoral Commission will again provide resources to voters, including its digital media literacy campaign, Stop and Consider.”
The threat of foreign interference, however, is definitely real.
“It is possible that foreign powers may seek to undertake similar actions in Australia. While attempts to interfere in our democratic processes are common, successful interference is not. Our democracy remains robust, our parliaments remain sovereign, and our elections remain free and fair,” the EIAT said.
“Foreign interference is a more prolific threat than ever before. Individuals or groups engaging in these actions, and those assisting them are often difficult to identify, and their links to foreign powers may not be immediately apparent.”
You can read the full report here, in addition to other publications by the EIAT.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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